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Monday, March 11, 2019

Retrospective #23: The Benefits of Saturated Fats

Benefits of Saturated Fats? Admitting
to such a belief is surely heretical, so I do not expect my reader to commit
such apostasy “on faith.” But, purely as an observer of another’s fall from
grace, you may want to read further to see how this idea developed and is
supported by science. If this sounds like a classic battle of orthodoxy vs. the
enlightened, you’re right. You certainly won’t hear it spoken by any of the
usual sources of information in our modern society: Government, Agri-Business,
Big Pharma, the medical and public health establishments, and the Mass Media.
Who but the small, grass-fed beef or pastured egg purveyor might benefit, besides
YOU?

Mary Enig, PhD, (1931-2014), was a
Director Emeritus of the Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF). Together with Sally
Fallon, President and Founder of WAPF, they wrote in 2000, “The Skinny on
Fats.” This is still a really “must read” for anyone interested in eating in a
healthy way and living a long life. Do yourself a favor and Google it.

Because it is more technical
than I am qualified to write about, and cites many sources as references, I
quote from it directly here. Find the 8 references cited from “The Skinny on
Fats” at the Foundation’s website.

“The much-maligned saturated fats—which Americans are trying to
avoid—are not the cause of our modern diseases. In fact, they play many
important roles in the body chemistry:

Saturated fatty acids constitute at least 50% of the cell
membranes. They are what give our cells necessary stiffness and integrity.

They play a vital role in the health of our bones. For calcium to
be effectively incorporated into the skeletal structure, at least 50% of
the dietary fats should be saturated.38

They lower Lp(a), a substance in the blood that indicates proneness
to heart disease.39 They protect the liver from alcohol and other
toxins, such as Tylenol.40

They are needed for the proper utilization of essential fatty
acids.
Elongated omega-3 fatty acids are better retained in the tissues when the
diet is rich in saturated fats. 42

Saturated 18-carbon stearic acid and 16-carbon palmitic acid are
the preferred foods for the heart, which is why the fat around the heart
muscle is highly saturated.43 The heart draws on this reserve of fat in times
of stress.

Short-and medium-chain saturated fatty acids have important
antimicrobial properties. They protect us against harmful microorganisms
in the digestive tract.

The scientific evidence, honestly evaluated, does not support the
assertion that "artery-clogging" saturated fats cause heart disease.44 Actually, evaluation of the fat in artery clogs
reveals that only about 26% is saturated. The rest is unsaturated, of which more
than half is polyunsaturated.45 “(end of quote from
“The Skinny on Fats”)

Among the most vilified of animal foods high in saturated fats is
butter. As previously noted, it is now enjoying a comeback, while margarine,
made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (trans fat), has suffered a
decline.

In 2000, before her more than 20-year campaign to bring trans fats
to the public’s attention had reached full fruition (she had testified on it at
the 1977 McGovern Commission), Dr. Enig wrote (again, in “The Skinny on Fats”):

“The
Diet Dictocrats have succeeded in convincing Americans that butter is
dangerous, when in fact it is a valued component of many traditional diets and
a source of…fat-soluble vitamins.
These include true vitamin A or retinol, vitamin D, vitamin K and vitamin E as
well as all their naturally occurring cofactors needed to obtain maximum
effect. Butter is America's best source of these important nutrients. In fact,
vitamin A is more easily absorbed and utilized from butter than from other
sources.61
Fortunately, these fat-soluble vitamins are relatively stable and survive the
pasteurization process.”

But what about cholesterol and heart disease? Well, if you’re still
asking these questions, I recommend you go back and read this Retrospective series
from the beginning. Or, if you’re just a little skeptical, stay tuned; the next
article will be “What About Dietary Cholesterol?” and then the next,
“Understanding Your Lipid Panel.” The apostasy goes on and on unabated, for
your reading pleasure. This is just #23 in a series of 500 heretical essays on
Healthy Eating.

About Me

I was diagnosed a Type 2 diabetic in 1986. I started a Very Low Carb diet (Atkins Induction) in 2002 to lose weight. I didn’t realize at the time that it would put my diabetes in clinical remission, or that I would be able to give up almost all of my oral diabetes meds. I also didn’t understand that, as I lost weight and continued to eat Very Low Carb, my blood lipids would dramatically improve (doubling my HDL and cutting my triglycerides by 2/3rds) and that my blood pressure would drop from 130/90 to 110/70 on the same meds.
Over the years I changed from Atkins to the Bernstein Diet (designed for diabetics) and, altogether lost 170 pounds. I later regained some and then lost some. As long as I eat Very Low Carb, I am not hungry and I have lots of energy. And I no longer have any of the indications of Metabolic Syndrome.
My goal, as long as I have excess body fat, is to remain continuously in a ketogenic state, both for blood glucose regulation and continued weight loss. I expect that this regimen will continue to provide the benefits of reduced systemic inflammation, improved blood lipids and lower blood pressure as well.